


Warriors: Crowfeather's Choice

by Diamondfox45



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe, Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight don't break up, Crowpool AU, F/M, Millie - Freeform, What I think would have happened if Crowfeather left WindClan to be with Leafpool, and Brook all get warrior names, daisy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 03:01:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29992887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diamondfox45/pseuds/Diamondfox45
Summary: An AU where Crowfeather joins ThunderClan to be with Leafpool, and Firestar allows them to remain mates. Because Crowfeather stayed with Leafpool, he never became mates with Nightcloud and therefore Breezepelt doesn’t exist, and neither does Smokehaze or Brindlewing. Crowfeather also chooses to join ThunderClan to be with his friends, Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, and Stormfur. In this AU, instead of returning to the Tribe, Stormfur and Brook become a permanent part of ThunderClan, and Brook is given a warrior name: Brooksong.
Relationships: Brambleclaw/Squirrelflight (Warriors), Brook Where Small Fish Swim/Stormfur (Warriors), Cinderheart/Lionblaze (Warriors), Crowfeather/Leafpool (Warriors)
Kudos: 13





	Warriors: Crowfeather's Choice

Crowfeather stared at the trees, his heart aching as he was reminded of Leafpool.

A whole moon had passed since Crowfeather and Leafpool returned to the Clans, and Crowfeather’s Clanmates still hadn’t forgiven him. Only his mother, Ashfoot, and his leader, Onestar, spoke to him in a friendly voice. Everyone else in his Clan hated him for breaking the warrior code, and they avoided him as much as possible.

But Crowfeather didn’t care. All he thought about was Leafpool, and he wondered if she missed him as much as he missed her.

_ I wish we were in the same Clan, so I could at least see her and talk to her. _ The beautiful light brown tabby haunted his dreams every night, and Crowfeather longed to see her again. They’d only been apart for a moon, but it felt like forever. He loved Leafpool, and not being able to inhale her lovely scent or stare into her warm amber eyes hurt him more than anything.

_ I love you, Leafpool. Why did you have to leave? _ Crowfeather wished the badgers hadn’t attacked ThunderClan and killed Cinderpelt. If they’d left the Clan alone, Cinderpelt could have trained another cat to be ThunderClan’s medicine cat, and he and Leafpool would still be together.

But Crowfeather knew that even if the badgers hadn’t killed Cinderpelt, his beloved still would have returned. Her friends and family were all in ThunderClan, and her bond with Squirrelflight was stronger than anything. The young medicine cat still would have gone home.

Crowfeather loved Leafpool, even more than he’d loved Feathertail. His love for Feathertail had been an apprentice crush, while his love for Leafpool was enough to make him run away with her just so they could be together. The lithe brown tabby meant the world to him, and he would do anything for her. Anything.

“Crowfeather, Ashfoot wants you to go on a hunting patrol with Tornear and Nightcloud.”

Crowfeather twisted around to see Weaselfur glaring at him through narrowed eyes. The ginger-and-white tom lashed his tail. “You’re not  _ still _ thinking about Leafpool, are you? She’s from  _ ThunderClan _ , you rabbit-brain!  _ And _ she’s a medicine cat. That’s breaking the warrior code twice!”

Crowfeather ignored him and got up, silently padding past the young warrior into the camp. The other two warriors were waiting for him, their eyes narrowing as he approached. Nightcloud lashed her fluffy black tail, and her amber eyes flashed with anger.

“Crowfeather,” Tornear growled. The large tabby twitched an ear. Crowfeather dipped his head, not meeting the older warrior’s gaze. He just wanted to get this over with.

Nightcloud stalked past him, flicking his muzzle with her tail. “Let’s go,” the black she-cat said. Crowfeather followed, more slowly, uncomfortably aware of every cat staring at him.

They hunted until sunhigh, and Crowfeather managed to catch three rabbits and a hawk, which he’d learned how to do from Stormfur. A pang of sadness stabbed his heart as he remembered his friends.  _ Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, Tawnypelt, Stormfur… Will I ever see them again? _ He’d formed a close bond with the four cats on their journey together, and he missed them dearly.  _ I hope they’ve recovered from the badger attack. _

As they padded back to camp, Nightcloud came up and nudged Crowfeather with her nose. “Great work!” she purred. “You’ve managed to catch enough prey to feed half the Clan! I bet Onestar will make you deputy after Ashfoot. You’re a great warrior.”

Crowfeather was surprised by her sudden friendliness. Just this morning, Nightcloud was as hostile toward him as any other cat. But now she was acting as if they were close friends and he’d never broken the warrior code.  _ Nightcloud’s usually not this friendly, even before I ran away with Leafpool. Why’s she acting so strange? _

The muscular black she-cat went on. “WindClan’s lucky to have you. You were one of the cats to find our new home. This place is better than the old territory.”

Unsure how to respond, Crowfeather just nodded and padded ahead. When they reached the camp, Onestar was waiting for them. The light brown tabby tom gave Crowfeather a curt nod. “Well done. You’re a fine hunter, Crowfeather.”

Crowfeather dipped his head respectfully. “Thank you, Onestar.” Crowfeather trained by himself every day, hoping to be as good as his parents, who were both deputies. He wanted to be WindClan’s strongest fighter and best hunter, although he mostly trained to keep himself distracted from thinking about Leafpool.  _ I wonder if Onestar will let me go to the next Gathering. Maybe I’ll see her there. _

As Crowfeather dropped his catch on the fresh-kill pile, Whitetail came out of the nursery and approached him. Her belly was swollen with unborn kits, and Crowfeather guessed it would only be another three moons before she gave birth to them.  _ She must be expecting Onestar’s kits. It’s obvious that they like each other, more than just Clanmates. _

“Hello, Crowfeather,” the queen purred. She widened her eyes. “Great StarClan! Did you catch that? It’s huge!” She padded over to admire his catch. “You’re a great hunter. Mudclaw trained you well.”

Crowfeather just nodded. He wasn’t used to receiving praise from anybody, especially ever since he broke the warrior code and took Leafpool as a mate.  _ She’s probably just excited about having kits. That’s why she’s in such a good mood. _

Onestar purred when he saw his mate. “Good evening, Whitetail. How are you feeling?” The lean brown tom padded over and rubbed his muzzle against Whitetail’s cheek. The small white she-cat purred loudly and nuzzled him back. “Fine, thank you. Do you want to go on a walk later?”

Onestar’s eyes glowed. “I’d love that.” Crowfeather watched the two mates, feeling a wave of sadness wash over him. Seeing Onestar and his mate so happy together made him miss Leafpool more than ever.  _ Oh, StarClan! Why did you have to take her away from me? I loved her. _

A nudge to his side snapped Crowfeather out of his trance. He turned to see Nightcloud standing beside him, her amber eyes glowing. “How about we go on a walk later, too? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

Startled, Crowfeather nodded. “Er, alright. Is it important?”

Nightcloud glanced around. “Oh yes,” she mewed. “Very important. I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while now.”

Crowfeather was confused. What could the black she-cat want to tell him? And why couldn’t she just tell him right now?  _ It must be really important if she doesn’t want to say it in front of everyone. Nightcloud doesn’t keep secrets from her Clanmates. She’s a loyal warrior. Unlike me. _

Tornear and Webfoot overheard this and shot Crowfeather amused looks. He wondered why.  _ What is it she wants to tell me so bad? _

“Crowfeather!” Crowfeather’s mother, Ashfoot, rushed over to him. The sleek gray she-cat purred when she saw the plump rabbit on the fresh-kill pile and licked his muzzle affectionately. “I’m so proud of you. You’re just like your father, you know. He was an amazing hunter, despite his paw.”

“You’re a good hunter, too,” Crowfeather told her. Ashfoot’s whiskers twitched. “Thank you. I need you to collect heather for the elders.” When she saw his expression, she added, “The Clan has no apprentices at the moment, so all the warriors have to take turns doing the apprentice duties. It’s your turn today.”

Crowfeather sighed.  _ It’ll keep my mind off Leafpool. _ “Alright.” He turned to pad out of the clearing, but Nightcloud stopped him. “I’ll help you, if you’d like.”

Ashfoot purred in amusement. “Sorry, Nightcloud. Crowfeather’s got to do this on his own.” The fluffy black she-cat looked disappointed.  _ Why is she so clingy all of a sudden? She-cats are so strange sometimes. _

Crowfeather headed out of the camp and began collecting as many clumps of heather as he could.  _ I’m a warrior, not an apprentice! Why can’t one of the younger warriors do this job instead? _

_ Then again, I’m the second youngest warrior in the Clan. The only warrior younger than me is Weaselfur. _ Crowfeather sighed. While he was collecting heather, he heard a rustling in the grass behind him. He sniffed the air.  _ ThunderClan! _ Crowfeather spun around, his neck fur flaring.

A tiny kit was crouched in the grass, staring at him with wide eyes. It was a tom, with black-and-gray fur and green eyes. The kit looked like it was only a moon old, and it flattened itself to the ground when Crowfeather snarled at it.

Crowfeather relaxed. The kit must have snuck out of ThunderClan’s camp and crossed the border without realizing it.  _ I should take it back to ThunderClan. Its mother is probably worried. _ “Sorry about that. What’s your name, little one?” Crowfeather asked as gently as he could.

The kit slowly relaxed. “Molekit,” he said timidly. Crowfeather padded closer to the kit. “What are you doing outside of the nursery? You shouldn’t be in WindClan territory.” Crowfeather wasn’t particularly fond of kits, but he tried to sound friendly.

Molekit stared at his paws. “I just wanted to see what it was like outside of camp. I tried to find my way back, but I got lost.”

Crowfeather flicked his tail. “That’s alright. I’ll bring you home.” He leaned over and grabbed the kit by the scruff, lifting him up and carrying him across the field.  _ The warrior code says no warrior can neglect a kit in danger, even if the kit is from another Clan. I’m helping this kit get back to his mother, so I’m not breaking the code by going into ThunderClan territory. _ Crowfeather crossed over the border and padded further into the forest, sniffing the air to find where the ThunderClan camp was. Hopefully, he would stumble across a border patrol and they would bring Molekit back.

But he didn’t run into a patrol, and Crowfeather was forced to find the camp himself. He wasn’t paying attention and nearly toppled over the cliff that overlooked the ThunderClan camp. Crowfeather scrambled backward, nearly dropping the kit in his jaws. Molekit squeaked and shut his eyes, trembling.

Crowfeather quickly stepped back and placed the kit on the ground. He let out a yowl, causing the cats below to stop what they were doing and look up at them. Hostility flashed in the warriors’ eyes when they saw him with Molekit, most likely assuming he had kidnapped the young kit.

“Crowfeather?” Brambleclaw padded into the clearing, his amber eyes glowing at the sight of his friend. “What are you doing here?” His gaze shifted to Molekit, who was sitting beside Crowfeather. “Molekit! There you are! Sorreltail’s been looking everywhere for you!”

“I found him on WindClan territory,” Crowfeather explained. “He got lost, so I brought him back here.”

“Molekit!” A tortoiseshell queen with amber eyes came rushing out of the camp and up the slope. She crouched beside the gray tomkit and began licking him furiously. “I was so worried. Never run away like that again!” She looked up at Crowfeather, blinking at him gratefully. “Thank you for bringing him back, Crowfeather. I was so scared he had gotten hurt or lost.”

Crowfeather shifted his paws. “You’re welcome,” he said awkwardly. The young queen carried Molekit back down the slope, and Crowfeather saw two more cats padding into the clearing.

He recognized Squirrelflight immediately, with her flame-colored pelt and forest-green eyes. Then his gaze shifted to the cat next to her, and his heart skipped a beat.

Leafpool was gazing up at him. She looked as beautiful and perfect as the day he first laid eyes on her; her tabby fur looked soft and well-groomed, and her warm amber eyes glowed brightly as she gazed at him. He longed to run down there and nuzzle her, but he knew that he couldn’t.  _ Stop it. You’re not supposed to think of her that way. You aren’t mates anymore, _ he told himself.

Firestar joined his daughters in the clearing. He looked very similar to Squirrelflight. “Thank you for bringing Molekit home, Crowfeather. We were all very worried for him. Would you like to stay for a bit before returning to WindClan?”

Crowfeather hesitated. It would be a while before he made it home, but if he stayed in ThunderClan, Onestar might get angry at him.  _ But I’ll be near Leafpool. Even if we can’t talk to each other, it’s still something. _ “Only for the night. I’ll leave for WindClan first thing tomorrow.”

The ginger tom nodded. “Of course. Help yourself to our prey. You must be hungry after your journey here.”

Crowfeather padded down the slope and into the main clearing, trying to ignore the hostile looks the ThunderClan warriors were giving him. He approached Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight, secretly glad to see his friends again. “Hey. How are you two doing?”

Squirrelflight purred. “We’re great! Brambleclaw’s the deputy now, and we’re mates. We missed you, you know.” She gave him an affectionate nudge, and Crowfeather smiled at her. “Congratulations. It was pretty obvious you like each other. I’m not surprised you’re mates.”

“Crowfeather?” A thick-furred gray tom padded into the clearing, followed by a slender tabby with gray eyes. “Stormfur!” Crowfeather exclaimed, purring. “And is that you, Brook?”

The tabby nodded. “Firestar’s allowing us to stay in ThunderClan. I’m a warrior now.”

Stormfur licked Brook’s cheek lovingly. “We’re mates now. Firestar says he’ll give Brook a warrior name soon.”

Crowfeather tilted his head. “Why would you join ThunderClan? Don’t you want to go back to RiverClan?” Stormfur’s mother had been RiverClan, and although she had died when Stormfur and his sister Feathertail were born, the young tom had been raised in RiverClan. Crowfeather had assumed he would want to return to his fish-loving Clanmates.

Stormfur flicked his tail. “Leopardstar exiled me and Brook from the Clan. Hawkfrost convinced her that we couldn’t be trusted.” He growled. “The fox-heart.”

Crowfeather flattened his ears. He’d always had a heavy dislike for Brambleclaw’s half-brother, and he liked him even less when he supported Mudclaw during the tomcat’s rebellion. “Where is he now? In RiverClan?”

Brambleclaw shook his head. “Hawkfrost is dead. I killed him.” His eyes glazed over with regret and grief. “I didn’t want to! But he tried to kill Firestar, and he was plotting with our father, Tigerstar. He attacked me, and I was forced to kill him.”

Squirrelflight touched her mate’s shoulder with her tail-tip. “The Clans are safer now that he’s gone.”

“You’re right. Hawkfrost couldn’t be trusted.”

Crowfeather turned at the sound of Leafpool’s voice. The light-colored tabby was standing a few fox-lengths away, her amber eyes fixed on him. She padded forward to stand beside her sister and Brambleclaw. “Squirrelflight’s right; we’re all safer now that he’s gone and you’re our deputy. StarClan told me you’d keep ThunderClan safe, no matter what.”

The broad-shouldered brown tom nodded, his eyes shining with determination. “I’ll protect my Clan with my life. And you three.” He gazed at Squirrelflight, Crowfeather, and Stormfur, and they purred.

“Hi, Leafpool,” Crowfeather mewed awkwardly, staring at his former mate. She met his gaze briefly before looking away. “Hi, Crowfeather. It’s good to see you again. Thanks for bringing Molekit back.”

Squirrelflight watched them with an amused expression. “We’ll leave you two alone.” She gave Brambleclaw a meaningful nudge, and the two warriors padded away. Stormfur murmured something to Brook, and they left as well, leaving Crowfeather and Leafpool alone.

Crowfeather shuffled his paws, feeling embarrassed, awkward, happy, and scared all at the same time. Leafpool was silent for a moment, but she lifted her head and asked, “How is WindClan doing?”

Crowfeather shrugged. “The Clan’s fine. Nobody talks to me anymore, except for Ashfoot and Nightcloud.” Something flashed in Leafpool’s eyes. Was that jealousy? Or regret?  _ Maybe both. _

“She’s a good warrior,” Leafpool mewed. “Nightcloud, I mean. She’s strong, fast, brave, and beautiful.” The light brown tabby stared at her paws. “She’s a friend of yours, isn’t she?”

Crowfeather nodded slowly. Why was Leafpool talking about Nightcloud so nervously?  _ Oh. She thinks I love Nightcloud. _ Leafpool looked sad, and Crowfeather guessed that she still loved him, but thought that he had moved on.

“We’re not mates, if that’s what you’re thinking. We’re just friends. She’s too clingy and possessive for me, anyway,” he reassured her. Crowfeather leaned forward to murmur in Leafpool’s ear. “I still love you, Leafpool. I’ll always love you.”

The beautiful medicine cat purred softly. “I still love you, too. But we can’t be together.” She pulled away. “I wish we were still mates, but the warrior code…”

“Crowfeather!” Crowfeather looked up to see Tornear padding into the clearing, followed by Weaselfur and Nightcloud. The tabby stopped a few fox-lengths away and narrowed his eyes. “You were away from camp for a long time, so we came to find you. Why didn’t you come home immediately after bringing Molekit back?”

Nightcloud padded forward. “ _ I _ think it was very considerate of you to bring Molekit home. You’re a great warrior, Crowfeather. I bet you’ll make a wonderful father someday.” Crowfeather felt uncomfortable by her words and tensed as the black she-cat nuzzled him. Her gaze shifted to Leafpool, and her eyes narrowed. “What are you doing with  _ her _ ?”

The young tabby shuffled her paws. “I-I’m sorry, I’ll go. It was good to see you, Crowfeather.” She hurried away, and Crowfeather felt a stab of disappointment.  _ Good-bye, Leafpool. _

Nightcloud glared after her. “That cat can find another tom to pad after. Some medicine cat  _ she _ is.” The fluffy black warrior lashed her tail. “Let’s head back to camp. It’s almost nightfall.”

Tornear and Weaselfur nodded, shooting hostile looks at Crowfeather before padding away. Did  _ everyone _ in WindClan hate him?  _ Have they forgotten how I went on the journey to find a new home for all of them? I’ve sacrificed so much for my Clan, and the only cats who seem to notice are my friends. _ At least Tawnypelt, Squirrelflight, Brambleclaw, and Stormfur didn’t hate him. They seemed to like him a lot.

“Are you leaving already?” Squirrelflight looked disappointed. “I was hoping you could go hunting with us.”

Weaselfur bristled. “He doesn’t want to go hunting with  _ you _ . He’s a WindClan warrior, not a ThunderClan mouse!” The dark ginger she-cat opened her mouth to make a snappy retort, but decided against it. Crowfeather felt a wave of anger towards Weaselfur. No one spoke to his friends like that!

“Don’t call her that,” he said to the ginger tom. “Squirrelflight’s a good warrior, strong and brave. And ThunderClan has helped WindClan in the past several times. They supported Onestar during Mudclaw’s rebellion. You could at least show them some respect.”

The young warrior glared at him. “That’s all in the  _ past _ now. ThunderClan is full of nothing but kittypets and codebreakers.”

Nightcloud flicked her tail at him. “Hush! Firestar might hear you!” She glanced at the flame-colored tom, who had his back turned to them. Tornear cuffed Weaselfur over the ear. “Show Firestar some respect. Without him or Graystripe, we’d still be living under the old Thunderpath back in the old forest.”

The ginger-and-white tom subsided at once, and Tornear led them out of ThunderClan territory. Nightcloud walked beside Crowfeather the entire time, and Crowfeather remembered how the black she-cat had wanted to tell him something.

“Nightcloud, what was it you wanted to tell me?” She purred and nudged him. “Follow me. There’s somewhere I want to take you.” She gave Tornear and Weaselfur a meaningful look. The toms nodded and padded ahead.

Nightcloud brushed Crowfeather’s flank with her tail before padding away towards the forest. Crowfeather followed, feeling a bit nervous. They kept going until they reached the Moonpool, much to Crowfeather’s confusion. Why would Nightcloud bring him here?

The clear pool shone silver in the light of the setting sun, and it reminded Crowfeather of Leafpool. She had been the one to discover the Moonpool and was named after it.  _ What is it Nightcloud wants to tell me, and why did she take me here? _

The sleek black she-cat sat down and flicked her tail at him. “Come here.” Nervously, Crowfeather went over and sat beside her.

Nightcloud stared into the pool, her eyes shining. “I think you’re a good warrior, Crowfeather. You’re everything a she-cat wants in a tom; brave, strong, and loyal. You would do anything for the cats you love and your Clan.”

Crowfeather didn’t reply.  _ Where is she going with this? _

Nightcloud went on. “You led us here to the sun-drown place and saved us from the Twolegs. You’re a great cat, and I like you. The rest of the Clan shouldn’t treat you like an outsider just because you made one small mistake.”

Crowfeather blinked at her. “You mean you’ve forgiven me for running away with Leafpool?”

She nodded. “Of course! You’ve done so much for the Clan, and I believe that you should get a second chance. Besides, it wasn’t  _ your _ fault.”

Crowfeather gave her a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”

Nightcloud lifted her head to look at him. “It was Leafpool who tempted you. You deserve better than her. She’s a weak, pathetic excuse for a she-cat.”

Crowfeather bristled. “No, she isn’t! She’s a great cat!” The black she-cat looked taken aback by his sudden outburst.

“All I’m saying is that you deserve a real mate. One who can give you kits and actually loves you,” she meowed. Crowfeather flattened his ears.

“Leafpool did love me.”

Nightcloud’s eyes flashed. “Clearly she didn’t love you enough to stay with you. She chose her Clan.”

Crowfeather lashed his long gray tail. “We had to come back! The badgers killed Cinderpelt! ThunderClan would have been left without a medicine cat.”

The thick-furred warrior sighed. “Let me get back to the point. What I’m trying to say is, I love you, and I wanted to ask… Crowfeather, will you be my mate?”

Crowfeather froze. Nightcloud loved him?  _ That explains why she’s been acting so friendly. _ But he certainly did not love  _ her _ . She was the complete opposite of Leafpool and Feathertail, and she had just insulted his former mate.  _ I will never be her mate. I’d rather be mates with a fox! _

“No,” he snapped. “Absolutely not. I’m not looking for another mate.”

Nightcloud’s eyes flashed with anger. “Every warrior has a mate sometime! You need to move on from Leafpool and live your own life in WindClan, with a she-cat who actually wants to be with you. And that she-cat is  _ me _ ! I love you, and I want your kits.”

Crowfeather stood and backed away. “No, Nightcloud. I don’t want a mate. If you want kits that bad, go have them with another warrior. Maybe Webfoot or Tornear can give you kits. But I won’t.”

Nightcloud’s neck fur flared. “I only want  _ your _ kits! If you won’t be my mate, I’ll tell everyone at the next Gathering about you and Leafpool.”

Crowfeather hissed at her. “Everyone already knows anyway.” He turned and began heading back to camp. Nightcloud growled at him. “I’ll have your kits, one way or another. Mark my words, Crowfeather.”

He ignored her and sped up, racing away from the Moonpool. He needed to talk to someone.  _ One of my friends. How about Tawnypelt? _ The stubborn tortoiseshell was always willing to listen to a friend and offer advice.

Crowfeather headed to the RiverClan border. In order to speak to Tawnypelt, he would have to cross RiverClan territory. It was a risk he was willing to take.

Crowfeather raced over the border, leaping over clumps of reeds and bracken as he charged through the territory. He passed a few warriors, who yelped in surprise as he jumped over them. Once Crowfeather had crossed the ShadowClan border, he ducked under a bush and waited for a patrol.

After several long moments, three warriors emerged from the trees. To Crowfeather’s relief, Tawnypelt was one of them. The tortoiseshell was padding close to Rowanclaw, purring as he murmured something in her ear.

Crowfeather brushed his long tail against the leaves, catching Tawnypelt’s attention. The ShadowClan warrior said something to her Clanmates, who nodded and padded ahead. Tawnypelt waited until they were gone, then went over to the bush Crowfeather was hiding in. “Crowfeather? What are you doing here? You could have been seen!”

Crowfeather sat up. “I wanted to talk to you about something.” Tawnypelt’s eyes flashed in surprise, but she nodded. “What is it?”

Crowfeather sighed. “A cat in my Clan, Nightcloud, asked me to be her mate.”

“Well, what did you say?”

“I said no. She’s an awful she-cat,” Crowfeather growled. “She tried pressuring me into giving her kits, and she insulted Leafpool.”

Tawnypelt flicked her dappled tail. “I see. Well, maybe you should find a different mate. How many she-cats are there in your Clan?”

“Not very many,” Crowfeather admitted. “The only she-cats are Ashfoot, Morningflower, Whitetail, and Nightcloud. Ashfoot’s my mother, so obviously I can’t be mates with her. Morningflower’s an elder and my kin, and Whitetail already has a mate. She’s expecting Onestar’s kits.” He flattened his ears. “Nightcloud’s the only option, and I don’t even want another mate. I still love Leafpool.”

Tawnypelt nudged him. “Then maybe you should leave WindClan.”

Crowfeather stared at her. “Leave my Clan? Are you rabbit-brained? I won’t survive by myself! Sure, I’m a good hunter and a great warrior, but what about when leaf-bare comes?”

Tawnypelt rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to be a rogue, mouse-brain. You can join ThunderClan. That way you’ll be with Leafpool again, and I hear that Firestar’s looking for more warriors now that Sootfur and Cinderpelt are dead.”

Crowfeather paused. She was right, he realized. If he joined ThunderClan, he wouldn’t have to worry about his Clanmates hating him back in WindClan. And he’d be away from Nightcloud.

_ I’ll get to be with my friends again. And Leafpool. _

“Tawnypelt, you’re brilliant!” He nuzzled her affectionately. “Thanks for the advice. I’ll join ThunderClan right now.”

The tortoiseshell purred. “No problem. Now get off of my territory!” She cuffed him over the ear playfully, and he raced away. Crowfeather’s fur ruffled as he bounded to ThunderClan territory, and he felt like he was running on air.

_ Squirrelflight, Brambleclaw, Stormfur, Leafpool… here I come. _


End file.
